18-8

दुःखम् इत्येव यत् कर्म काय क्लेश भयात् त्यजेत् ।
स कृत्वा राजसम् त्यागम् नैव त्याग फलम् लभेत् ॥ ८ ॥

duHkham ityeva yat karma kAya kleza bhayAt tyajet |
sa kRtvA rAjasam tyAgam naiva tyAga phalam labhet || 8 ||

यत् कर्म [yat karma] Work that’s त्यजेत् [tyajet] given up दुःखम् इति एव [duHkham iti eva] just because it’s difficult, भयात् [bhayAt] due to fear काय क्लेश [kAya kleza] that it would strain the body - त्यागम् कृत्वा [tyAgam kRtvA] abandoning work in this way राजसम् [rAjasam] is done in the quality of rajas. सः [saH] The person who abandons work in this way नैव [naiva] will certainly not लभेत् [labhet] gain त्याग फलम् [tyAga phalam] any benefit from such ‘sacrifice’.

Even in the belief that these actions are liberating in nature, people abandon duties such as worship due to apprehensions - They are apprehensive that those activities need material, time and a lot of effort, causing strain on the body.

In the apprehension that they wouldn’t be able to sustain these activities, they give up actions while being in the quality of rajas . They try to achieve their goals by contemplating through meditation.

They misunderstand the scriptures and miss the awareness that naturally comes from letting go . It is said in 18-31: ‘Forcing an understanding that was never meant is in the quality of rajas ‘. The actions that we do and experience are never a cause of delight. Actually, the delight we experience comes from the delight of the Lord.